Introducing engram, a hardware sampler for exploring artificial intelligence hallucinations

Music startup Thoughtful Things has launched a Kickstarter campaign for its first instrument, Engram. Described by founder Evan King as a "field recorder for latent space," the hardware device functions as a sampler and groovebox that uses artificial intelligence to mangle audio and generate completely new sounds.

Unlike mainstream generative audio tools aimed at producing radio-ready tracks, Engram focuses on experimental sound design. It draws inspiration from circuit-bending, encouraging users to push tiny artificial intelligence models to their breaking points and explore the resulting anomalies.

Localized processing

Engram operates entirely offline without an internet connection. The device runs a custom-trained, in-house audio model locally on the hardware.

According to the campaign details, the developers trained the underlying audio models exclusively on open datasets containing commercially licensed material, specifically citing CC-BY or similar permissions. The company also stated that it has not used and will not use non-commercial, pirated, or unauthorized data for model training.

Open firmware and availability

To encourage further experimentation, Thoughtful Things plans to make Engram's firmware open. This will allow developers and musicians to modify the system or load their own custom models onto the hardware.

The initial Kickstarter campaign offers a limited run of devices starting at a pledge of $675, presented as a 30 percent discount. While the final retail price has not been officially confirmed, the discounted tier suggests a future retail value between $850 and $900.